Seven
by crimsonxemerald
Summary: School started out normal at Shibusen Boarding School, however, the peace didn't last. Weird events start to occur, and the teachers put them off as mere pranks. Maka and her friends, however, think otherwise, and decide to discover the truth.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The first day of school started out normal and ended normal. After that I felt like that was what I should expect. It took awhile, but I was proven wrong. In the beginning I got too comfortable. Maybe that was what they were planning.

Maka POV

"Black*Star, hurry up!" I called to the blue-haired boy a few steps behind me. "We can't be late the first day!"

"Don't rush your god, Maka!" He scoffed, yelling when he noticed me speeding up. "Don't think about rushing off without me either! We won't be late!"

I rolled my eyes. I'd known Black*Star since we were young and he was like a brother to me. While I was used to his loudness and large ego, he still annoyed me at times. Once you got to know him however, you got past it.

We got to class on time, to my relief and to Black*Star's smugness, and the teacher, Professor Stein, gave us assigned seats after the bell rang.

I ended up in the last row, next to the window, sitting next to a boy with black hair. Turning to the kid next to me, I held out my hand.

"Hi, I'm Maka."

He looked at me, and I noticed he had three white stripes on one side of his hair. Weird. "Hello. I'm Death the Kid, but you can call me Kid." He shook my hand. "I must say, your pigtails are perfectly symmetrical."

I raised an eyebrow at the unusual remark and was about to reply when Black*Star, who had somehow ended up sitting in front of me, interrupted.

"And I'm the great Black*Star!" he said loudly, attracting a few glances. "I'm going to surpass god!"

Kid's eyebrows raised, "Oh really? It's nice to meet you."

He grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you say, Kid? Are you going to be one of my followers?"

"I'm not sure what that means, but I don't see any harm in it."

"Yahoo!"

I grinned. Kid seemed mature, judging by the easygoing way he'd reacted to Black*Star and the way he spoke.

"Has he always been like this?" Kid asked after Black*Star began talking to the guy sitting next to him.

I nodded. "He can be annoying, but he's a great friend. We've known each other our whole lives."

"Interesting."

Professor Stein started class, and afterward, as we prepared to leave, Black*Star stood up and pointed to me.

"This is my greatest follower, Maka!" he said to a boy with red eyes and white hair next to him. "And this is Kid, a new follower of mine!"

Kid and I greeted the guy, who introduced himself as Soul. He didn't show any emotion, but didn't seem unfriendly.

The four of us sat together at lunch, along with Liz and Patty, who were friends of Kid. During the next two weeks, we all became acquainted with one another. I never would have expected anything so drastic to occur and so completely and utterly change our lives.

xxx

Two weeks later, my roommate finally arrived. She was transferring from Japan, and for some reason her arrival was put off until now. Her name was Tsubaki.

Her first meeting with me proved that she was quiet. She knocked on the door, introducing herself, and we talked for a little bit before began unpacking. I told her I was half-Japanese and she smiled, saying she was happy she'd have someone to converse in Japanese with. I nodded in agreement, and helped her carry her stuff in, a comfortable silence settling over us.

Her first meeting with Black*Star proved that she was nice. Black*Star was being his usual self, loud and obnoxious, telling Tsubaki about how he was our god and everything, and she smiled, saying she'd be happy to be one of his followers. I was a little surprised, as it wasn't an expected reaction, but when I thought about it later, it was typical of Tsubaki.

I could tell we were going to become good friends. I was even more excited about school and even less expecting of what was going to come.

xxx

The seven of us became friends, eating lunch together and hanging out after class ended. Black*Star annoyed us all, but he had a way of befriending people. Tsubaki would just smile, while the rest of us would call him an idiot when he went overboard. Kid, whose father was the principal, had OCD and was obsessed with symmetry, so sometimes he freaked out if something was asymmetrical. Liz and Patty were able to calm him down for the most part. Liz was into fashion and loved picking out outfits for Tsubaki and I. Patty acted like a little kid and loved giraffes. Soul was nice, always saying things were "cool" or "uncool," but when I talked to him more when we were paired up in Stein's class, I discovered he was the kind of guy you wanted to be friends with. He was loyal and dependable, despite being lazy. Then there was me. Aiming to be top of the class, always with a book nearby. Somehow, with all our differences, we got along really well. Not counting the instances where I had to pull out a book and Maka chop someone, of course.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was the second month of school when it began. Night was beginning to fall earlier and a cool breeze whispered through the leaves changing colour all over campus. The first time, everyone thought it was a prank. On the front of the school, to the left of the entrance, was a large eye, painted on the brick. It looked like nothing more than graffiti. But after it reappeared three times more times, despite it being removed, I wondered if it was something more. It was eerie and cast a dark feeling over the school. The teachers began acting strange, as if they knew something was up, and during the third week of October, there was an assembly on safety. It seemed like a warning, but what were they warning us of? What was it that they feared? Why were they hiding it from us?

xxx

"What if there's a ghost?" Liz asked, wrapping her arms around herself, shaking. "What if the school's haunted or something?"

"Don't worry sis!" Patty exclaimed. "Nothing to be scared of!"

"Yes, I don't think a ghost could use paint." Tsubaki said, "It's just someone... pulling pranks or something. Nothing to be afraid of." She smiled, but still looked a little worried.

We were walking back to our dorms after class, discussing the strange eye that just wouldn't go away. Black*Star, Soul and Kid had already separated from us, heading toward the boy's dorm, which was across from ours.

I frowned. There was obviously something that the teachers were hiding from us, and I didn't like it. "It's really weird though. Something has to be going on."

We got up to the door and went inside. Tsubaki sighed. "I think you're right, but I have no idea what it could be."

"I just hope it's not a ghost... Anything else, I can deal with." Liz said.

"What about that?" Patty asked. We looked at her in confusion until she pointed to something across the lobby. On the wall, on both sides and above the fireplace, were three of the same eyes. But unlike the one on the front of the school, these ones were creepier. Red was painted around the edge, and it was sloppily done, so that it dripped down the walls like blood.

We stood there, staring at it, until one of us found something to say. Surprisingly, it was Liz.

"Okay, this has seriously got to stop. The whole aesthetic of the room has been ruined," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing.

Patty giggled. "That's just like you, sis!" She ran over to the eyes, touching the paint then holding up a red finger. "I think yellow would have looked better."

"The paint's still wet? This couldn't have been done long ago." I frowned again. Classes had ended ten minutes ago. Whoever had done it couldn't have had much time to escape. Unless... "Wait, what if the person who did this is still here?"

"Maybe we should go find a teacher." Tsubaki suggested.

"Let's go check upstairs!" Patty yelled, running toward the stairs.

We took off after her, following as she passed the first, second and third floors, going to the fourth floor, where she and Liz lived. I was behind Liz and Tsubaki, who ran over to Patty, who was staring at a door. I stopped running when I noticed that there was something on the doors. There were four doors on either side of the hallway, and on each one there was the eye again. I peered closely at one of the doors. The paint looked dry, and I touched it to be sure.

I looked over at my friends. "This must have been done before the ones downstairs! They must have started from up here."

"If what Maka says is true, then they must be gone." Tsubaki said, then added, "Maybe we should see if anything happened at the boy's dorm."

"I'll call Kid." Liz said, pulling out her phone. As she called, she took her key out and opened the door to her and Patty's dorm, waving us in.

We walked in and sat down; Patty on her bed and Tsubaki and I on Liz's, listening as Liz filled Kid in. When she hung up, she told us that Kid and the others were coming over. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Liz let them in.

"The same thing happened at our dorm." Kid said as he walked in, tone serious. Liz sat down by Patty, who scooted over to make room for Kid. Soul sat by me, and Black*Star pulled one of the desk chairs over between the beds. "I don't think-"

"Listen up, my followers! Let the meeting commence!" Black*Star said loudly, earning a sharp look from Kid for interrupting.

"Shut up, idiot." said Soul, leaning back.

Kid sighed, continuing, "As I was saying, I don't think it's safe here. I don't understand what's going on and why they aren't telling us anything. My father has been dodging my questions, not giving me anything."

"Maybe we should move out of the dorms," I suggested. "There's a lot of apartments around that are right by campus, and the rules state that it's okay."

"Of course you're talking about rules." I shot Soul a glare, causing him to grin, flashing his sharp teeth.

"Some people don't go around doing whatever they want to!" I snapped.

"Rules aren't always right!" Soul shot back.

"Who are you to decide?"

"Why can't I? Do you think you can, then?"

"No, I follow the rules!"

"Well what if-"

"As entertaining as it is watching you two, maybe we should continue this discussion." Liz said.

Kid nodded his agreement. "Yes, Liz is right. I think what Maka said is a good idea. We can check some out after class tomorrow. Does anyone object?"

"The great Black*Star doesn't! In fact, I command you all to agree!"

Tsubaki laughed. "Yes, I think we all do."

Later on we went to the cafeteria and ate dinner together, then returned to our dorms. A teacher was in the lobby when we got back, assuring everyone it was a prank and that it was okay. Her false reassurances wouldn't help anyone sleep tonight, that was for sure.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next day, we found a apartment building with two available rooms right across from each other. It was only a five-ten minute walk from campus and had decent pricing, so we decided to rent the two rooms.

Each had two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and living room, so even though we didn't get our own rooms, we had more space than before. It was pre-furnished, as students from Shibusen usually rented rooms there, so the price was a little higher, but by sharing we saved money, so it worked out well.

We packed up everything in our dorms and moved in. Having lived in the dorms, we didn't have a huge amount of belongings, so it didn't take too long.

"I'm so tired!" Liz groaned, collapsing on the couch.

"Of course you're tired. With all those clothes you have." I said. "You have more clothes than the rest of us have stuff!"

"Maybe we should wait and have that party tomorrow night," Tsubaki suggested.

I nodded. "It's been a long day. I'll order take out, then we can get some rest."

xxx

When we got to Stein's class the next morning, everyone was talking. One girl, Jacqueline, who I'd talked to before, was crying. Strangely, her best friend, Kim, who was always with her, wasn't there.

The others went to their seats, and I walked over to her. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes." she sniffed, wiping some stray tears off her cheeks.

"Did something happen?"

She nodded. "Last night, Kim stayed late at the library, and told me to go home without her. She texted me when she was on the way, before it started getting dark. I kept waiting but she never came, so I went outside and found her on the ground. I took her to see Nygus because she was unconscious. When she woke up, she said she'd been walking and someone grabbed her arm, then hit her in the head and she blacked out."

I frowned. Whatever was happening, it was escalating. I patted her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Jackie. If you were there, you could've gotten hurt too and Kim would've been upset."

"Yeah, you're right." she sniffed again. "It's just so scary with that creepy eye everywhere, though."

I didn't like seeing Jackie upset. We'd been put in a group once in English with Ox, my rival for top place in the class, and had gotten along well. While Ox had pestered her with questions about Kim, who he was infatuated with, we'd gotten the work done and chatted, and she had seemed really nice.

When I walked back to my seat, it seemed the others had heard as well.

"Maka, you better not be staying late at the library alone!" Black*Star said, pointing his finger at my face.

"Don't worry, I won't. Get your finger out of my face." I pushed it away.

"Good," he said, in a rare serious moment. "Because your God orders you not to."

"And he ruined it." Soul rolled his eyes.

I laughed. "That's what I was thinking!"

Black*Star pointed a finger at each of us. "Maka, Soul, don't you laugh at your god!"

We swatted his hands, laughing at him even more.

xxx

"Pizza's here!" Black*Star yelled from the hallway.

Tsubaki went over and opened the door. Black star walked in carrying a stack of pizzas, soul and kid trailing behind. he set them out on the counter. Everyone gathered in the kitchen.

"Looks great!" Soul said, grabbing a plate.

"It does!" I agreed.

We sat around the table in the living room, talking and eating, carefully avoiding mention of what had happened to Kim.

"So that's why I'm rooming with Black*Star," said Soul, explaining how Kid had his own room so it could be arranged symmetrically.

"Yes, I appreciate your thoughtfulness." Kid said absentmindedly.

"Something on your mind Kid?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, you've been quiet today." Patty chimed in.

Kid was quiet for a few seconds. "No I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"If you say so." Liz said, sounding like she didn't believe him.

"Actually, I think I'll excuse myself. I have some business to attend to with my father." Kid said, placing his plate in the sink before leaving.

"What's up with him?" Patty asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we should try to talk to him." Liz suggested, her and Patty leaving to follow Kid. "We'll be back."

"Be careful!" Tsubaki called after them.

The door shut. Collecting the rest of the plates, I carried them into the kitchen. "You guys pick a movie while I wash these!"

As Tsubaki, Black*Star and Soul discussed movie options, I finished up the dishes, carefully placing them in the dish rack. When I got into the living room, the lights were off.

"Shut off the kitchen light!" Black*Star commanded. I did, then joined them on the couch, sitting in the open spot between Tsubaki and Soul. "We're watching a horror movie!"

Soul nudged my arm with his elbow. "That means if you get scared, you can come cuddle with me."

I glared at him, and seeing his pointy grin, lifted a book. "Maka chop!"

"Ouch!" he rubbed the top of his head. "Geez, do you keep books everywhere?"

"Yeah, there's always an idiot like you around."

Black*Star played the movie. Tsubaki ended up being scared, or maybe just startled, and hid behind Black*Star's arm. I grinned, remembering to ask her about it later.

Liz and Patty came back late, saying they tried their best but couldn't get Kid to crack. All they knew was that he talked to his father and wasn't very happy afterward.

The next day Kid wasn't in class. All day he didn't show up once. Even Liz and Patty weren't sure what he was up to.

* * *

**Next chapter, things will start getting more interesting. It'll start getting faster too, now that the exposition stuff is done. The title is kind of lame and I'm pretty sure the summary is too o_o Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After school, I had to go to the library, so Liz and Patty went with me. I could tell the sisters were a little worried about Kid. As I walked around looking for the books I wanted, Patty napped and Liz painted her nails. I stacked the ones I wanted on the table, walking toward the other end of the library to see what was there. As I was looking, Liz sent me a text that said she'd seen Kid outside and went to talk to him with Patty, and that they'd be back and to wait for them.

A bit later, I was waiting for them to come back, reading a book at the table, having checked them out already. At one point, I looked up, noticing how dark it had gotten. Liz and Patty still weren't back. I pulled out my phone to call her when I heard someone walk in.

"Liz?"

No answer. The footsteps got closer, and I raised a book, lifting it when a figure rounded the corner. It was Soul. He raised his hands when he saw the book. I glared at him.

"Liz told me to tell you sorry, she and Patty couldn't come back this way. They're with Kid."

"Oh. Well, let's go, then." I picked up my books, putting the ones that fit into my bag and carrying the rest.

When we were halfway to the door, the lights suddenly shut off. Exchanging a quick look, Soul and I bolted toward the door, finding it locked.

"Damn it!" Soul cursed.

"The librarian isn't here anymore." I said, peering over at her desk.

"No one was there when I came in."

"Hm. That's strange." I pulled out my phone. "I'll try calling Tsubaki." The phone rang twice before she picked up. "Tsubaki, hey!"

"Hey Maka, what's up?"

"I'm at the library with Soul, actually, we're locked in and someone cut the power! Can you and Black*Star come?"

"Yes! I'll be there soon!"

"Ok! Bye!" I sighed, putting my phone back in my pocket. "They're coming."

He nodded, sitting on the floor beside the door. I sat down beside him.

"So, he began, "What was it like growing up with Black*Star?"

"Well, interesting." I paused. He nodded, waiting for me to continue. "At first, I couldn't stand him, see, he's always been like that. After awhile though, I got used to it. Despite Black*Star being Black*Star, he's a great guy. He's been like a brother to me."

"Yeah, I can see what you mean. I can definitely relate more to him than to someone serious like Kid."

"I can tell." I punched his arm playfully. "You two are both immature."

Soul grinned. "And you're violent, and obsessed with reading and studying."

I flashed him a look, and he laughed. "It's alright, you're still pretty cool though."

I blinked. "Oh really? You're obsessed with being cool." I looked over at him, and he shrugged.

"What can I say, I'm a cool guy."

I snorted.

"What?"

Stifling laughter, I shrugged.

"Don't you think I'm cool?" he joked.

"Should I?"

"Aw, come on Maka. I know you think I'm cool."

"If you say so!" I laughed.

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Shouldn't they have gotten here by now?" I asked Soul, feeling a bit worried. "I hope nothing happened."

He shifted. "Yeah, you're right." Standing up, he held out a hand. I took it, and helped me up. "Could we get out through the windows?"

"No, they're not the kind that can be opened."

He started walking over to the windows, and I followed him, peering outside. The moon was shining through the trees. "Man, they'd better hurry up." He groaned. "I'm hungry!"

As I was about to reply, there was a thud from across the library. It sounded like a book had fallen off one of the shelves. I started toward the ground, but Soul stopped me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Wait, Maka. You don't know who's there."

He dropped his hand when I turned back to him.

"We should check it out though."

Soul sighed. "Aren't you afraid? We thought we were alone here."

I shrugged. "Maybe a little, but I'm with you, so it's no big deal. "

Soul's eye widened a little, then he grinned, sharp teeth flashing in the moonlight. He opened his mouth to speak when the library door burst open.

"The great Black*Star has arrived! I have come for you, my minions!" His voice boomed, the silhouette which had just knocked the door on its hinges unmistakably his.

"Yo Black*Star, what took you so long?" Soul asked as we walked over to meet him.

Black*Star grinned. "Do you dare question the timing of your god?"

"Sorry," Tsubaki apologized. "He was in the middle of doing pushups, and wouldn't stop until he got to a thousand."

"And I would've done more, had you guys not needed the help of the great me!" He said proudly, jabbing his chest with his thumb. "Hahahahaha!"

"By the way, there was a sound coming over there from just now," I pointed back behind the rows of bookshelves.

Black*Star immediately dashed back without time for a thought, Tsubaki on his heels. Seconds later, he yelled again. "What are you talking about Maka? There's no one back here, just a book on the floor." He reappeared. "Please don't try to tell me you think books are people too now?"

He didn't see it coming until the book made contact, knocking him backward into the ground.

"He really had it coming that time." Soul remarked, rubbing the back of his head.

Once Black*Star regained consciousness, we headed back to the apartment.

When Tsubaki and I discovered Liz and Patty weren't home, we went across the hall, finding them with Kid. They filled us in as to what happened after they'd left the library. Apparently Kid had been trying to investigate who the perpetrator could be.

"You should have told us Kid!" Black*Star thumped him on the back. "Your god would have helped you!"

"We all would've helped you." I said.

"Yeah, you can count on us." Soul grinned.

"See Kid, we told you!" Patty exclaimed

He looked at us. "It's up to you guys. I don't have anything against it."

Tsubaki smiled. "We'd love to!"

"Yeah Kid, you could sound a little happier about it." Liz said, checking out her nails.

"I am glad all of you want to help, Liz, I don't know what you mean." Kid said, confused.

"Kid doesn't really look happy about anything other than symmetry!" said Patty.

"Speaking of which..." Suddenly Kid was in the corner, muttering to himself. "If only there was one more person... Then there'd be a group of eight... The perfect number, really... I'm such garbage..."

Liz went over. "Now, now Kid. You have great friends right here. It doesn't matter how many."

"You're not garbage!" Patty chimed in, producing a picture she'd drawn of a giraffe. "Look! Symmetrical giraffe!"

Kid lifted his head, taking the paper. "You drew a symmetrical giraffe... for me?" Tears glistened in his yellow eyes.

The rest of us stood back, observing the scene until Soul started grumbling again about being hungry, and Black*Star demanded food. Tsubaki and I exchanged a look, and decided to cook something together for everyone.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Maka POV

The next day, I got called to the principal's office. I opened the door nervously, unsure of why I was there.

"Principal Death?" I asked.

He was sitting behind his desk, opposite someone with strangely familiar red hair. It couldn't be... "Oh yes, Maka Albarn. There is someone here to see you!" The red-haired man turned around.

"Maka!"

"Papa?" I gasped, surprised.

He started to run toward me, knocking over the chair he'd occupied in the process, arms outstretched for a hug. I pulled out a book. "Maka chop!" He crumpled to the floor.

"Why is Papa here?" I turned to Principal Death.

"He's returned to his position as vice principal due to things around here."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Is there anything you can tell me? Why is someone after the students?"

"Hmmm. No one is after the students. The real target is someone else."

"Someone else?" I echoed. "But-"

"Maka, your Papa loves you!" Spirit Albarn said, weakly lifting his head from the ground.

I ignored him. "But who? And why?"

Death tilted his head. "That's something you need to discover on your own."

xxx

At lunch I told my friends about what had happened.

"Wait, your dad works here?" Soul asked.

Black*Star burst into laughter. "Aren't you just so happy he's back, Maka?"

"Hardly." I said drily. "Yeah, he was the vice principal but Principal Death transferred him to another department for awhile, but now because of what's been happening, he's back." I sighed. "Unfortunately."

"You never met Kid before you started here though?" asked Liz.

"No. My dad was just busy a lot when I was younger. With work... and other things, and I stayed at home."

"Oh, I see." she said.

"Did anything else happen?"

I nodded. "I asked him why someone was after the students, and he told me that the real target is someone else, and that I have to figure it out for myself."

Kid scowled. "He said things like that last part to me whenever I tried to question him. He can be really frustrating. Why does it seem like he's hiding something?"

xxx

Soul POV

It was a fairly warm day, so after school we were hanging out outside. I was sitting on the grass by tree, which Black*Star was high in the branches of, Tsubaki watching nervously. Patty was running around, arms stretched out at her sides, and Maka, Kid and Liz were sitting on a bench.

I'd found that my desire to talk to Maka had grown. She was an interesting person and I wanted to get to know her even better.

"We should pair up for the investigation." Kid said, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Patty and I should work with Kid," Liz said. "We can calm him down if his OCD gets out of control."

Black*Star's head appeared amidst the leaves. "I'll work with Maka!"

Maka whipped her head up to look at him, green eyes blazing. "I don't think that's a good idea, Black*Star." she shifted her gaze to Tsubaki. "Tsubaki would be able to handle him better. I'd spend too much time Maka chopping that idiot."

Tsubaki smiled, blushing a little. Whoa. Did she have a thing for Black*Star of all people?

"Alright, you get to work with Soul." said Kid, folding his hands in front of him. "That's settled then."

Laying back on the grass, hands behind my head, I closed my eyes. It seemed like I was being given a good opportunity.

"You were just dying to be partners with a cool guy like me, right?" I drawled.

I heard her snort, saying, "Whatever Soul," then started talking to the others again. "Who should we investigate?"

"Ah, let me think about that..."

I frowned slightly, having hoped she'd pay more attention to me. It was really fun arguing with her and teasing her. Except for when she hit me with a book. Her aim was dead-on, and despite her thin frame, she was powerful, which meant it hurt. A lot.

"We should start with Stein, Marie and Sid. They're the closet of the teachers to my father, whom I suspect is a part of this somehow."

It was decided that Maka and I would investigate Stein, Black*Star and Tsubaki were assigned to Marie, leaving Kid, Liz and Patty with Sid. I listened to them talk, relaxing comfortably on the grass.

Little did we know, there was a dark figure watching us, hearing every word we said.

xxx

Maka POV

"Ah, Patty, don't spill the popcorn!"

"I didn't sis, that was all you!"

"You guys, stop leaving messes everywhere!"

"Uh-oh, I think she saw the ice cream I spilled on the counter!"

The apartment was in chaos. I was beginning to regret agreeing to having a girl's night. There was ice cream all over the kitchen, popcorn in the living room, and I was sure that wouldn't be the end of it. After all, they hadn't gotten to the soda yet.

After I cleaned the kitchen, I headed out to the living room, mentally preparing myself for whatever was going on. Fortunately, aside from the popcorn, the only thing Liz and Patty had done was moved the blankets and pillows to the floor so we could sit in a circle.

I sat down between Tsubaki and Patty.

"It's time for girl talk!" Liz grinned. "We don't usually do this. I'm excited!"

"You know, there was something I've been wanting to ask you about, Tsubaki." I glanced at her.

She smiled nervously. "Yes?"

"Do you have a crush on Black*Star?"

Tsubaki's face turned red.

"That's a yes!" Patty exclaimed, laughing as she ate a handful of popcorn.

"I thought there was something there." Liz said approvingly.

"Do you think he might ever like me?" Tsubaki asked shyly.

I nodded, smiling. "He's dense and always thinking about himself, so he probably won't notice your feelings, but I have no doubt he'd like you too!"

Liz grinned. I didn't like the devious look in her eyes. It was almost as if she was plotting something.

"Hey Maka, if you had to date someone out of the three guys, who would it be?" she asked.

"Me?" I thought for a minute. "I'd have to say Soul. Black*Star's practically my brother and I don't think I'd be able to handle Kid."

"Interesting." Liz said, the devious gleam in her eyes again.

I frowned. "That doesn't mean I like him or anything."

"I know."

Liz spoke in an innocent tone, however the devious gleam was in her eyes again. _Oh great_, I thought. _She's probably planning something weird. I shouldn't have answered that. _

"What about you, Liz?" Tsubaki asked.

"Hmmm," she twirled a piece of hair around her finger thoughtfully. "Kid, I guess. But I'm not really interested."

Patty laughed. "Can I tell him that sis?"

"I bet he'd say he appreciated your thoughtfulness." I joked, causing Tsubaki and Patty to burst into laughter.

Liz crossed her arms. "Nothing we say here tonight leaves this room, got it?" We all nodded our agreement. There was no reason for Soul to know I'd choose him. He didn't need another reason to tease me.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Rumors continued to spread throughout the school the next week. Dorms were being ransacked, another student was attacked, and word of Soul and I being locked in the library had gotten out. In the midst of this, we began our investigation.

Soul POV

Maka and I were kneeling in the bushes outside Stein's classroom, Maka intently watching his every movement. He was gathering up papers and arranging things on his desk, moving around on his wheelie chair. Every time he turned to face our way, Maka ducked down below the window.

"Soul, get down!" She'd said the first time, when I hadn't moved out of Stein's line of sight.

"Maka, he hasn't even seen us. He isn't looking over here. Calm down." I'd replied.

Maka sighed, irritated. "You idiot, we can't continue observing him if we're caught!"

"Observing?" I snorted. "You mean stalking."

"We are simply observing to see if there's anything suspicious. Stalking sounds... wrong."

"Of course you're still concerned about right and wrong. Our lives could be in danger and you're thinking about the rules."

"If I did, I wouldn't be here right now." she shifted her weight, turning to me. "I meant stalking sounds ill-intentioned and creepy. We don't have ill intentions, do we?"

I shrugged. "You're the smart one, you tell me."

She rolled her eyes, getting impatient. "I hardly think you're stupid Soul."

"Wow, I'm shocked."

"Shut up." she turned back to the window, craning her head up to peer in again.

Stein finished up, then moved to exit the classroom.

Maka tapped my arm, waving me toward the open windows of the classroom next door. "Quick, let's go!"

We climbed in and I followed Maka to the classroom door, watching as she peered out into the hallway. Following after him after he'd passed by, I couldn't help but think Maka looked cool. It was interesting to see her doing something other than reading when we weren't hanging out with our friends (and even sometimes then). Turning the corner on his wheelie chair, he rolled down the hall to his office. Maka and I hid behind the corner, waiting to hear the door close. When it did, she waited a minute to make sure he wasn't coming right back out, then, while motioning for me to stay, silently went to eavesdrop. She pressed her ear against the door. If anyone came down the hallway, I was supposed to distract them. The teacher's offices were in a hallway with a dead end, so it worked out nicely. I leaned against the wall, sticking my hands in my jacket pockets.

After what felt like forever, Maka came back, saying that Stein had been dissecting something the whole time, so there was nothing worth noting. I scowled, telling her that Kid and Liz had passed by a little bit ago, but that was all that had happened on my end. So uncool, I thought. We hadn't discovered anything.

Liz POV

Kid and I had asked Patty to distract Sid so that we could sneak into his office and take a look around. As we were walking down the hallway, I heard her starting to sing a song about zombie giraffes, and knew it was a good idea. Patty was... Patty, and other people who weren't around her a lot weren't used to her antics. Sid was probably confused.

"Yo," Soul nodded as we passed by him on our way to Sid's office.

I pulled a piece of wire out of my pocket, successfully picking the lock.

"This room is outrageously unsymmetrical!" Kid exclaimed. "I must fix it immediately!"

Before he could start changing everything, I put a hand on his shoulder. "Wait Kid, this wasn't part of the plan. If you move everything around, he'll know someone was in here."

Kid paused, a look of pain on his face. "B-but... It could be beautiful. It has such potential!"

"Just think about finding the truth to the questions your father wouldn't answer! Concentrate on that!"

"Al... Alright." He set to work, searching through piles of papers.

I frowned. I hadn't really thought about having to actually do something. Examining my nails, I thought about my plan to bring Maka and Soul together. They would be so cute. All they needed was a push in the right direction and-

"Liz!" Kid's voice brought me back to attention. "I'm going to need your help with this."

I sighed. "Okay, okay."

Tsubaki POV

"Black*Star, you should be quiet!" I urged the blue-haired boy who had been yelling just a few seconds ago.

"Tsubaki, I had to announce my godly presence in this place and liven it up! I can't fail my duties as a god!"

I sighed, thinking that if we were assigned to anyone other than Marie, our cover would have been blown. Like what Maka and Soul were doing, we were outside her classroom windows. When Black*Star had had his outburst, she'd looked up from her desk, out the window, murmuring something about adorable kids.

A few minutes later, however, he shouted again. I should've known the silence wouldn't last. This time, Marie came over to the window, looking down at us in confusion.

"Black*Star? Tsubaki? What are you two doing here?" she asked.

"Um... we uh, wanted to uh, talk to you about something." she still looked confused, so I quickly added, "But Black*Star was too nervous!"

"Tsubaki! Don't speak such blasphemy about your god!"

He didn't get that he was supposed to go along with it. I smiled. Typical Black*Star.

xxx

Maka POV

Friday night, Tsubaki, Liz, Patty and I were in the living room, talking about our week of observation. None of us had really discovered anything. Tsubaki had gotten embarrassed because of Black*Star's denseness, not that she'd ever blame him. Liz had to spend a great amount of time convincing Kid not to rearrange Sid's office, classroom or desk in a symmetrical manner. Patty giggled. All she'd had to do was think of ways to distract Sid. As she listed them, I couldn't help but feel bad for the man. I'd learned just how much time Stein spent in his office dissecting things before leaving to go home. It seemed like Soul had just about died of boredom. I suspected he'd even napped a few times while waiting. In other words, it was a long week.

Soul POV

"Soul, do you like Maka?" Black*Star asked incredulously after I had finished telling him and Kid about Maka and I's week.

I stared at him, mumbling, "She's kinda cool."

"HA!" He pointed at me. "I KNEW IT!"

"No, wait Black*Star-" I held my hand up, trying to get him to shut up.

"She's like a sister to me man. You might be my friend but if you do anything to make her cry, I'll make sure you regret it! This is a command from your god, Soul. Make sure you..."

Black*Star's speech lasted another five minutes. I quickly stopped listening. I'd never said I liked her, just that she was kinda cool. And she was. She annoyed me sometimes but I had fun with her. I liked seeing her reactions when I teased her and I loved arguing with her. I still wanted to know more about her. Did I like her? When I thought about it, I thought I did, but I wasn't sure. I had never really liked anyone before and I had never met anyone like her before. Before. Before I met Maka.

* * *

Only quickly checked over this chapter so I hope there aren't any mistakes o_o I wish my chapters were longer but by the time I get to where I want them to end, they're about this length. Sigh. Oh well. The next chapter is going to be really fun to write. x) Hope you enjoy it!


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Maka POV

To say Liz liked fashion would be an understatement. She loved it. Her room full of clothes was more than enough proof of that. Another example would be the outfit I was wearing. I'd tried to protest but was reminded that I had agreed to go to the mall with her, as Patty and Tsubaki had went to the grocery store, leaving me as the only option, so I couldn't back out. Apparently there were huge sales Liz just couldn't miss.

She had let me wear one of my usual skirts, my favorite red plaid one, as well as my combat boots. The rest was all her idea. I had on a black tank top she claimed was "absolutely adorable", high black socks that went above my knees, and the leather jacket I had at the back of my closet that I'd barely worn. It really wasn't the sort of outfit I'd usually wear, but it wasn't too bad so I went along with it.

"Maka, you look so cool!" Liz squealed, looking delighted. "Now just let me do your hair and makeup!"

"I don't really like wearing makeup."

"Please," she begged. "Just a little bit, I promise!"

I clenched my teeth. This is what I got for agreeing to shop with her. I made a mental note to never go to the mall with her again. "Fine." I followed her over to her vanity, the surface of which was piled with makeup.

She took my hair out of its pigtails, brushing it out so it fell around my shoulders. Then, keeping her promise, she added a little bit of eyeliner and mascara and a touch of lipgloss.

"Okay, just let me finish getting ready and then we can go!"

I sighed, walking out to sit in the living room while I waited. When Liz came out, she was wearing black skinny jeans, a red off-the-shoulder shirt, heels, and plenty of accessories.

"Okaaay, let's go!" she said in a singsong voice.

As we headed to the mall, I noticed Liz sending what seemed to be a long text message to someone. I hoped she wasn't planning anything.

xxx

When we got there, Liz went through a few stores, buying insane amounts of clothing and other things she claimed to need. All because it was on sale. I frowned. That must be how stores got a lot of their money: Enticing customers with sale signs.

We took a break in the food court, where Liz got a phone call, after which she frowned and said that Patty had caused trouble at the grocery store and Tsubaki needed her to go. She said she'd call one of the guys to come meet me and help me finish shopping for her. She quickly left me a list of what I needed to look for from what stores and her credit card, leaving me sitting alone at a table, confused as to what had just happened. She was planning something, wasn't she?

Soul POV

I didn't understand why Liz had sent me a text telling me to make sure I wasn't doing anything for the rest of the day or why she called me about two hours later asking me to meet Maka at the mall. I hadn't been planning to do anything other than relax and maybe play some video games with Black*Star and Kid, and I had no idea why she wanted me to help Maka finish Liz's shopping. It really didn't make any sense to me. Still though, I went.

When I walked in through the food court, where Liz said she'd be, I looked all around for her pigtails, failing to see her. Taking a closer look, I saw a girl with ash blonde hair like Maka's and a familiar pair of boots sitting at a table talking to two guys. I scowled, hurrying over.

As I was almost there, they turned and left, one of them waving to her. I took the now empty seat across from her.

"Oh hey Soul. Sorry Liz made you come here. I'm not exactly sure how I got caught up in this." she smiled sheepishly.

"No problem." I paused, curiosity bugging me. "What did those guys want?"

She shrugged. "Nothing really. They were asking me where some stores were, and I gave them directions." she tiled her head as if remembering. "Then one of them invited me to a party later. I told him I was busy, but he left his phone number in case I changed my mind."

Was she really that dense? I'd bet those two knew exactly where the stores were. "They were obviously flirting with you." I said, feeling the spite in my tone.

She laughed. "Yeah right, Soul. Let's hurry up and finish shopping." Maka stood up, and I noticed her outfit for the first time.

"Don't laugh." she warned when she noticed me staring. "Liz made me dress up."

I grinned. "Wasn't planning on it." My grin grew wider as a look of surprise quickly flickered across her face.

I carried most of the bags as she shopped like the cool guy I was, because cool guys helped their friends. And the girl they liked.

xxx

When we got home, Maka and I hung out until the others returned, at which point I left to go across the hall. Liz cornered me in the hallway.

"Sooo," she began.

"Yes?" I asked warily.

"Did you have fun with Maka today?"

I blinked. Suddenly everything seemed suspicious. "You planned it, didn't you?"

She beamed. "Yes! So did it work?"

"I don't know what you mean." I lied, wondering why she had tried to get Maka and I to spend time together? Had Maka said something?

"It's obvious you like her!"

I froze. Obvious?

"Don't worry, it's not that obvious, I just meant that as your friend, it's easy to tell." Liz said, patting my shoulder, then, noting my scowl, added, "But you know, Maka did say something about you."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh really?"

She nodded. "Yep! I asked her who she'd date out of the three of you and she picked you!"

Grinning, I thanked her for telling me, then turned and went inside to play some video games with Kid and Black*Star, given that they weren't bickering again.

xxx

The next day, I walked to the park across the street where Maka liked to read, even in winter. Sure enough, she was sitting under a tree, one book in hand and another sitting on the ground beside her. I went over and sat down next to her.

"Hey."

She didn't look up. "Hey."

I leaned back against the tree, sitting in silence for a few minutes. Maka closed her book with a soft thud.

"Did you want something, Soul?"

I looked at her. "Yeah, I was just curious about something."

She met my eyes. "Yes?"

Slightly unnerved by her green gaze, I continued. "If you had to choose between dating Black*Star, Kid or me, who would you choose?"

She looked at me strangely before turning her gaze out across the park. "I'd have to say probably Kid."

Narrowing my eyes, I scoffed.

"What?" she asked sharply, eyes on me again.

"You're lying."

Her cheeks turned pink as she began to protest, but before she could speak, I leaned in closer, putting one arm around her shoulders to pull her closer and the other on her face. Then I kissed her once, pulling my face inches away from hers to look at her. She looked stunned, but then she spoke.

"You're right. I lied."

Then, before I knew what was happening, she wrapped her arms around my neck and was kissing me. Her lips were softer than I'd imagined. I hoped mine weren't chapped. Then she pulled away, moving closer.

"You're a really cool girl, Maka. You know that?"

She just smiled, opening her book and beginning to read again; This time, sitting right next to me, our arms touching.

xxx

Maka POV

Soul and I stayed at the park for a few more hours until it was time for dinner. We split up, each entering our different apartments. As I helped Tsubaki cook dinner for everyone, I thought about Soul. I hadn't expected he'd kiss me. Or that he'd tell me I was cool, but I was happy. Until today I hadn't even realized I'd liked him, probably because I hadn't liked a guy before. I smiled, thinking about how Soul had fallen asleep while I read, his head on my shoulder. He was so cute, I thought.

"You look happy, Maka." Tsubaki noted.

"I am!" I beamed, mixing the pasta as she chopped vegetables for salad.

"Did something good happen?"

I nodded. "Yeah, actually-"

"What happened, Maka?" Patty yelled, running into the kitchen. "Did you meet a giraffe?"

Laughing, I shook my head.

Liz followed behind Patty, a glint in her eyes. "So, what happened?"

I pointed at her. "Just so you know, I knew all along you were planning something." I lowered my finger. "Just so you know."

"I won't deny it." Liz shrugged. "So did he finally make a move?"

"He kissed me." I said, failing to fight the smile that kept appearing.

Patty's jaw dropped. "THE GIRAFFE?"

"No, Soul!"

"Soul did? Awww that's so cute!" Patty giggled.

"Yeah, but now I can't use any of the other plans I had." Liz pouted.

"There's always another person you can use those on." I suggested, throwing a meaningful glance at Tsubaki, who was finishing up the salad.

Liz grinned knowingly and Patty giggled again.

While they talked, I turned back to the pasta, turning off the burner and dumping it in the strainer in the sink. Once the food was done, we brought it across the hall to eat. We sat around the table in the living room as usual. This time however, Soul and I sat next to each other.

We were talking and eating when Black*Star suddenly yelled in surprise. "You two are dating?!"

Soul nodded. I sighed, wondering who told him.

"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO ANNOUNCE IT TO YOUR GOD? WHAT BLASPHEMY IS THIS?" He bellowed.

"Sorry Black*Star. We were, uh, planning to later!" I made an excuse quickly.

His gaze shifted back and forth between the two of us. "YOUR GOD APPROVES!"

Everyone laughed.

After everyone finished eating, Kid cleared his throat, turning all attention toward him. "I think we should discuss what the possible motive could be for these happenings around school." He said seriously. "I've been thinking and I believe the best option is revenge."

"I'd have to agree." I said. I'd thought the same thing.

"But who wants revenge on who?" Soul asked, the question that we all had in our minds.

"We haven't learned anything from following any of the three teachers who are close associates of my father, who hasn't been answering any of my questions. This leads me to believe that someone wants revenge on my father." Kid explained.

Kid looked up to his father, so that couldn't have been easy for him to say, however what he said made sense.

"So you think we should investigate him?" Tsubaki asked, sounding a little surprised.

Kid nodded in response.

None of us noticed that as we had been talking, there was a dark figure lurking on the balcony, listening to every word we said. The next thing we knew, there was a loud crash from downstairs.

I leapt up, and with a quick "What was that?" ran out the door. I heard Soul calling my name, but I sprinted downstairs to the lobby just in time to see a dark figure exit. Following, with Soul some distance behind me, I kept up with the figure for as long as I could. The figure outran me, disappearing into a dark forest in which I'd have no chance of pursuit. As I caught my breath, Soul caught up.

"Maka!" he was breathing heavily. "You should have waited for me! That was dangerous!"

"You were right behind me though!" I protested.

"That doesn't matter! What if I hadn't caught up in time?"

I sighed, knowing he was right. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Soul said with a grin, holding out a hand. "Let's go back."

Placing a hand in his, we walked back to the apartment together. When we entered, however, we were greeted with a frightening sight. Paint dripped down from the large painted eye and the word next to it. We stepped closer, taking a look. _Asura, _it read.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Maka POV

Kid had been pacing back and forth across the living room for a good half hour, no one having been able to break his thoughts until Patty.

"Kid isn't walking down the exact middle of the room!" Patty put her hand to her mouth, which formed a perfect o.

All of a sudden Kid froze. He quickly looked down at the ground, eyes scanning the floor, mentally taking measurements in his head. Next thing we knew, he was in the corner, wallowing in self-hatred.

"Garbage... I'm garbage... I deserve to die... Worthless asymmetrical trash..." he muttered to himself over and over.

"Look what you did now Patty." Liz groaned. "Now we have to deal with him."

"At least now we can concentrate. That pacing was getting irritating." I said, sighing in annoyance.

Soul grinned. "So uptight." he said, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me closer where we sat on the couch. "Calm down."

"Now isn't the time." I glared at him but made no effort to move.

Black*Star took the opportunity to jump onto the couch in the now empty space between Tsubaki and I. "Yahoo!"

"Besides, it appears that Black*Star is the one that needs to calm down." I shifted my glare to the blue-haired boy laughing obnoxiously over Kid, pointing at him.

"Shut up Maka! Your god is just having fun!"

SLAM! The book made contact with his skull and due to the angle I'd chopped him, he fell over onto Tsubaki. I shoved Black*Star off of the nervously chuckling girl and onto the floor.

"Sorry about that, Tsubaki."

"It's alright." she smiled.

Kid was still muttering in the corner. "Maybe you ought to cheer him up." I suggested to Liz and Patty, who were chatting amiably where they sat on the floor.

Liz looked over at him and nodded. "I suppose you're right." she got up and walked over to Kid, placing a hand on his shoulder. Patty skipped over, mirroring her sister's movement. "Kid, you're not trash or garbage. Concentrate on something else, like Asura. Finding out who he is is important right now."

Kid sniffled. "It is important, isn't it?"

"Yeah Kid! Sis is right! Besides, you could never be garbage!" Patty exclaimed, her smile reminiscent of a little kid.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking up at them with hopeful eyes.

They nodded in unison. Kid got up and sat down on the armchair at an angle beside the couch.

"Kid, have you thought of anything?" I asked, adjusting my position against Soul to look at him.

"No." he said with a slight frown. "And that's what bothers me. If this Asura is someone related to my father, I feel as though I would have had to have heard some mention of him, but I have no recollection of ever hearing that name before."

"Couldn't it just be a secret then?" asked Soul.

"Yes, it more than likely is a secret." Kid sighed. "That bothers me even more."

"Maybe he had a reason to keep it a secret from you." Liz said.

"Yeah Kid! Don't be upset at your father!" Patty chimed in.

He looked at the two briefly. "I can't help but feel bothered that he would keep something like this from me even if he had a reason."

"He was probably trying to protect you. Asura is dangerous."

"You're right Maka, as usual. It's just hard for me to accept."

Black*Star raised his head wearily from the floor. "Your god... Your god has regained consciousness."

Patty started cackling. "What's wrong with him, sis?"

"He got Maka-chopped. You know how that happens."

"Yeah, it means he was being an idiot!"

This time I started laughing. Patty's random outbursts, while random, could be funny if at the right time, now being a good example. I felt Soul start laughing too. Black*Star shouted something about blasphemy as he always did then sat down on the couch again.

"Rather than dwelling on this, I guess we ought to decide what to do now." Kid said in a serious tone. "We have go around my father. He must have some sort of records somewhere in our house. There's also a low chance he could have something in his office. During the day while he's at school, we can check out my house, and at night when he's home, we can check out his office."

"I'll volunteer to skip school and sneak into your house." Soul grinned eagerly, the looked down at me as I stared at him, annoyed. "What? I just want to help!"

"No you don't, you just want to skip school Soul!"

He shrugged.

"Lazy..." I murmured.

"Shhh." he kissed the top of my head and I rolled my eyes.

Kid looked at us in mild annoyance. "That's fine, Soul. I'm assuming you wouldn't want to skip class to come with Soul and I, would you Maka?"

I considered this. "No." Skipping class didn't appeal to me. Even when I was sick I still went if I could.

"Okay. The two of us will go alone then. Liz, Patty, can you keep an eye on my father and let me know when he leaves school?" They nodded. "Good. Then at night, Maka, Black*Star and Tsubaki can search his office."

Everyone agreed. Patty decided to make an origami giraffe, while Liz painted her nails. Kid went to his room, where everything was perfectly symmetrical. Tsubaki talked with Black*Star, leaving me and Soul to spend time together.

"Doesn't this make you happy?" he asked, as if he'd read my thoughts.

"What makes you think that?"

"I don't know." Soul said, taking his free hand and brushing my bangs out of my eyes. "But it does, doesn't it?"

"Maybe." I said happily, giving him a hug, which he returned warmly.

xxx

I'd thought that not having Soul in class would feel lonely, but surprisingly it didn't. His absence equaled the absence of a distraction. Smirking, I decided to tell him that later to mess with him the way he did with me.

* * *

**Kinda short, but the next chapter is going to be pretty long ._. I've noticed that since I've started writing this, I've been more motivated to write in general, so I'm excited to write more fanfiction after this one. It's so much fun o_o I started watching Sword Art Online and a Taiwanese drama called Bump Off Lover. The title's weird, but it's really good. Actually I decided to write this after watching a twdrama called Mysterious Incredible Terminator. I love it. The characters are in college and they solve mysteries around the school and it's really good. The mysteries aren't lame either. Much better than this x) **


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Soul POV

As everyone else was in school, I met Kid at his house. To say it was huge would be an understatement. It was symmetrical, no doubt due to Kid's OCD. He said that there were a few places we could check: His home office, the library and the basement.

"I'm not sure where he keeps the archives." Kid explained about the last two.

I nodded. "Sounds good. Where do you want to start?"

"The office." he said briefly, leading the way.

I followed Kid through the mansion to his dad's office, toward the back of the house. I turned the doorknob, but it was locked. Kid produced a key from his pocket and opened the door. There was a large desk across from the door and bookshelves and tables full of books and other things along the walls. Where to start...

"I'll start with the desk." Kid said, the pointed to a bookshelf. "I'd suggest you start over there. That's where the archives are kept."

"Okay." I replied.

Once I began looking, I realized that I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for. There were folders full of information about the school and quite a few with bills and such, which I could rule out. I figured I could try to find something about Kid's dad himself, or possibly the family in general. I tried scanning the next two bookshelves, which amounted to nothing, then, as I was moved to the next one, I noticed a box on the top shelf. Taking it down, I set it down on the floor. It turned out to be full of pictures, mostly of Kid and Death. One, however, stuck out. It was of a young guy with black hair streaked with white. On the back it said Asura.

"Kid!" He looked up and I waved him over. "Look at this." I showed him the photo.

His eyes narrowed. "Where was this?"

"In a box of pictures of you and your father."

He stared at the picture for a few seconds, then looked at the box with a frown. "Why would this be there?"

"I don't know, but the guy looks pretty creepy. It's not hard to believe he's the one."

Kid handed the photo back and told me to hold onto it while we kept looking, so I put it in my pocket. We went back to work and I found myself wishing I could see Maka because I was so bored. If she had come, it wouldn't have been so bad.

Later we went down to the basement, having found nothing else of interest. There were tons of boxes. At the sight, I just about fell to the floor. How boring.

xxx

Liz POV

"Patty, we should probably be quiet!" I said, examining my nails. There wasn't a single chip in them yet, I noticed smugly.

"Fine." Patty sat down beside me dejectedly. "Sitting here is so boring though."

I sighed. "Yeah I know. We got stuck with the boring job."

She nodded vigorously, fidgeting. Then she looked like she remembered something suddenly, pulling out some yellow paper. I watched in amusement as she started making origami giraffes.

"You and your giraffes, Patty." I laughed.

Patty beamed. "Yeah, I love them."

It felt like forever, but we only had to wait a little over an hour until Principal Death left his office, locking it behind him. We called Kid to let him know, then left.

xxx

Soul POV

We were all meeting back at the apartment, where Kid and I showed everyone what we had found.

"There's this picture I found." I said, holding it up. "It says Asura on the back." I passed it to Maka, who was sitting next to me. She examined it and passed it to Tsubaki.

"And I found this." Kid said, showing us a single sheet of paper, a dark look on his face. "It says that my father... had another son."

Maka's eyes widened. Black*Star choked on his soda. Tsubaki and Patty gasped. Liz, rather than displaying her surprise, put her arm around Kid's shoulders to comfort him. Usually he didn't display much emotion, but he was now visually upset.

"There must have been a reason he kept this from you." she said softly.

Kid nodded. Patty jumped up and ran to give him a hug.

"If you're going to hug me... Do it symmetrically." he sniffed.

Liz grinned, throwing her arms around him. I glanced over at Maka, who was smiling at the scene. She looked at me with her green eyes and I grinned. She smiled back, reminding me of how much I loved it when she did so at me.

xxx

Maka POV

After dinner, Black*Star, Tsubaki and I left to sneak into the school. Soul and Kid had already found startling information, but we thought it would be best to search for more anyway. That was why I, a good student, was in a situation where I was breaking rules.

There we were, standing in front of Principal Death's school office, wondering how to get in, when Black*Star announced that he was going to break down the door.

"Black*Star, I know you're strong enough, but then he'll know someone was in here!" I said, irritated.

He shot me a look. "Then _you_ find a better way to get inside!"

Rolling my eyes, I took a lock pick out that Liz had given me. I picked the lock as she had instructed and the door clicked open.

"Where did you learn how to do that, Maka?" Tsubaki asked, eyes wide.

"Liz and Patty." I said, leading them inside, where I flipped the lights on. There weren't any windows, thankfully.

I went straight back to the desk, pulling open drawers and picking the locks when necessary. Black*Star and Tsubaki helped look through them all, and soon we found a folder labeled _Asura_.

"This is it!" I said, opening it so we could all see the contents.

Black*Star shoved his way in the middle, so he could be in the center even as we were reading.

"What does this say?" Black*Star asked, pointing to a word at the top of the page.

"Asylum."

Tsubaki gasped.

"What is that?"

"A mental hospital." I said in shock. "Part of this makes sense now." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

Black*Star frowned. "Explain it then."

"Principal Death never told Kid about Asura because he's mentally unstable and has been locked up in an asylum for almost twenty years. He must have escaped somehow and is planning revenge on Death. Ah! And he's taking it out on the school he built. Everything makes sense now!" I exclaimed.

"Good job Maka!" Tsubaki said, flipping through the rest of the folder. "It doesn't look like there's anything else in here."

"Don't forget who the real star is here!" Black*Star yelled. "Ha! I could have told you that much!"

I stared at him. "Then why did you ask?" He didn't answer, as he was already out the door.

Tsubaki and I cleaned up before following. Now we were starting to get somewhere, I thought happily.

xxx

Soul POV

"What is that supposed to mean?" I pouted, having just heard that Maka actually liked it when I wasn't in class.

"You're a distraction. Always acting immature or slacking off." she said, her eyes light.

I frowned. She could've said she missed me regardless, to spare my feelings. I turned, looking up at the sky. Maka laughed, and all of a sudden she was in front of me, sitting on my lap and hugging me.

"I guess it's okay if you distract me now, though."

I grinned, wrapping my arms around her, holding her tight.

* * *

**Somehow it didn't turn out as long as I thought it would be. o_O Ohwelllll. This was pretty much so they could figure that stuff out, so not much was really going to happen. I start college next week and still have a lot to get done and whatever so I won't be updating as fast as I have been but hopefully still at least twice a week or so. **


End file.
